December 24th, Eight PM
by ickle-s-10
Summary: Angel and Mimi celebrate Christmas together an hour before RENT starts, and end up gaining more than just presents. It sounds corny, but it's really not. Rated for language. R&R please!


**This takes place about one hour before RENT starts. I wrote the beginning in school because my English teacher gave us "free write" time, which I haven't had in about 4 or 5 years. She _said_ we could write about whatever we wanted, but it's still going to be really awkward when she collects our "composition notebooks" and reads this and "Like Thelma and Louise Did"……**

**I don't own RENT.**

Angel carefully positioned her ten-gallon-plastic-pickle-tub under her best friend's window. She the sat down next to it and began to play as loudly as she could. After about thirty seconds, a key was dropped down from the window onto the sidewalk.

"Thanks Mimi!" Angel yelled while she picked up the key and tub and ran towards the door to Mimi's apartment building. Angel quickly unlocked the door and dashed up two flights of stairs. "Merry Christmas!" Angel yelled as she ran into Mimi's apartment.

"Angel!" Mimi shrieked as she ran over to her friend and gave her a hug. "Oh my G-d!" What are you doing here?"

"Well, I figured that since you're working tomorrow, we might as well celebrate Christmas tonight," Angel answered. "Because we both know that we got each other presents, even if we agreed not to."

Mimi smiled in reply.

"Yay!" Angel shouted. "Let me give you yours first."

"No way," Mimi answered. "I know that what you're giving me is better, so I'm going first."

"Fine," Angel said, pretending to be upset about it.

Mimi ran into her room, returning ten seconds later holding something behind her back. "I didn't have time wrap it, or really anything to wrap it in, but……" With a smile, Mimi handed Angel what she had been holding behind her back.

"Oh my _G-d_, Mimi," Angel squealed. "This is _gorgeous_!" She held her new white pleated skirt with decorated with different colored flowers against her hips and looked down. "It's absolutely fabulous!" Angel gave Mimi another quick hug before releasing her and bending down over little brown backpack. "Your turn," Angel told an obviously excited Mimi. "Close your eyes."

With a smile Mimi closed her eyes as Angel held something up in front of her. "Open!" Angel said.

Mimi gasped, and then screamed. "Those are a-_mazing­_!" Mimi shouted as she grabbed the blue spandex pants from Angel. Her eyes opened wide as she looked at them. "Seriously. _Amazing_." Mimi threw her arms around Angel again. "Wait," she asked suddenly. "Angel, you couldn't have made these……"

"Well, not exactly……but you didn't make the skirt, did you?"

"No, but I can't sew for my life. Besides, these don't look all that cheap. Let's just say that skirt wasn't that expensive."

"Honey, don't worry about it. Besides, I got some money today," Angel told Mimi with a suspicious look on her face.

"Don't— Angel, you didn't— _please_ don't tell me-"

"_No_, I didn't become a hooker Mimi. Honestly, you should know me better than that at this point," Angel said. "I kinda killed a dog."

Mimi's eyes opened wide. "You _what_!"

"Well, not exactly. I just played the tub until it committed suicide. By jumping out of a twenty-third story window."

Mimi's jaw dropped. "Angel— but— you—"

"Don't be that upset about it sweetie. It was Benny's dog," Angel said to a shocked Mimi.

"Oh," Mimi said, the look on her facing changing from shock to relaxation to anger. "Well in that case, I mean, that bastard was asking for it. You can't pretend like he didn't deserve it. That's what happens to people who treat everyone else like they're a worthless piece of shit.……" Mimi's voiced dropped as she continued mumbling under her breath. Angel, who had at that point realized that Mimi wasn't talking about the dog anymore, grabbed her hand.

"Oh honey, I thought you were over Benny," Angel told Mimi as she rubbed her hand. "He really _is_ just a piece of shit; he's not even worth it to cry over. Honestly sweetie, just forget about him." Mimi attempted to give Angel a smile. "There you go. Now c'mon, there are so many other men out there. Forget about Benny and go out with one of them."

"Yeah, you're right," Mimi said, meeting Angel's eyes. "It's just, I really liked him, and……that son of a bitch didn't even tell me he was _married_!"

"I know honey, I know. But be happy. It's Christmas Eve, and there are _tons_ of single men out there that need someone like you in their life. So get out there and find one."

"Ex-_cuse­_ me?" Mimi asked Angel as she gave her a look. "Am I getting this from my one friend who hasn't been on a date in almost a year? Angel, I know that you're looking for _love_, but you're never going to find it if you don't _start looking_."

Angel rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine. You're right. How about we decide that by New Year's Eve, we'll both have boyfriends. Or we'll at least have been on a date. Okay?"

Mimi smiled. "Ok."

"Good," Angel answered. "Now, let's eat. I brought food." Angel opened up her backpack to reveal two hamburgers, two candy bars, and two beers. "Merry Christmas!" she said with a smile.

Half an hour later, Angel stood up and picked up her skirt. "Sorry Mimi, but I really wanted to go out drumming tonight," Angel told her friend with an apologetic look. "It's Christmas, people will in a giving mood, and I don't really want to wake-up tomorrow knowing that the last time I drummed I was killing a dog……"

"Fine," Mimi said. "But it's only a little after nine o'clock; you could wait a little while."

"I would, but it's just gonna get colder out, so I don't want to be out that late……"

"It okay," Mimi replied. "I understand. If I don't see you tomorrow, we'll meet the day after, alright?"

"Sure," Angel answered as she put her skirt in her backpack and put her backpack on. "Bye honey, love you."

"Love you too, Angel. See you later."

Angel walked outside, found a place to set up her tub, and started up a beat. She was just thinking about what Mimi had said about how she had to start _looking_ for love if she ever wanted to find it, when she heard a groan in the alley. Angel hit the tub a few more times before she heard the groan again. She got up and began to walk toward the alley, still thinking about what Mimi had said……

A few minutes later, Mimi, inside her apartment was still thinking about how Angel had told her that there were plenty of single guys out there, guys that were much better than Benny. _Well_ she thought to herself _I'm not going to find one tonight; it's cold out. So unless there's a way that I can find someone without leaving the building……_ Suddenly, Mimi had an idea. She picked up a nearby candle, and headed out the door and up the stairs, still thinking about what Angel had said……

**End.**

**I had to keep checking the picture I have of Daphne Rubin Vega in the blue pants in my RENT program while I was writing this. I didn't remember what they looked like from the show; that's why there wasn't much description of them.**

**Please review and let me know if you thought Mimi acted a little OOC, I thinkshe may have a little…..**


End file.
